1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an agricultural implement, such as a corn planter, or similar agricultural device, adapted to be pulled behind a tractor having a vertically movable tool draw bar, and, more specifically, to a folding agricultural implement having outer wing sections attached to each end of a central frame section and having a hydraulically actuated folding means built into the pivot pin assembly at the pivot points between the main frame section and the folding wing sections to cause the outer wing sections to fold in a forward direction when the hydraulic means is actuated to reduce the overall width of the agricultural implement for transporting the equipment along a roadway, and to swing the wings rearwardly into alignment with the main frame section for operational use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As the cost of farming and farm equipment continues to increase, farm equipment manufacturers are constantly designing and developing new farm equipment in an effort to increase the efficiency of farm equipment. One such method of increasing the efficiency of farm work is to increase the size capacity of the equipment to enable one farmer to cover more ground than was done previously with the older equipment. In order to enable a farmer to do this, the size of the equipment, such as the planting equipment or implements, the cultivating implements, and the harvesting implements, must be increased. However, one major drawback to the increased size of farm implements is the problem of transporting the farm implements from field to field along the public roads and highways, due to their greatly increased sizes.
Numerous designs have been suggested in an effort to enable the larger equipment to be transported along the public roads and highways. One such method of decreasing the size of farm implements for transportation purposes is to fold the implement into sections for transporting purposes. One such early effort at obtaining folding farm implements is shown by U.S. Pat. No. 2,322,086 to Zimmerman, issued in 1943, which generally shows a drawbar having a main section and end sections which could be folded forward to decrease the overall width of the drawbar.
Later such efforts are shown by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,958,383, to Danielson, which discloses a cultivator attachment, and 2,970,658 to Kopaska, which discloses a harrow transport. However, none of these prior art references attempt to achieve the same results as does the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,536 to Orendorff incorporates a design somewhat similar to that of the present invention in that Orendorff does disclose a folding agricultural implement, such as a corn planter, utilizing a main frame section with forwardly folding wing sections pivotably attached to each end of the main frame section in a manner somewhat similar to that of the present invention. However, the Orendorff device is manually operated and raises and lowers the main implement frame relative to the tractor drawbar to achieve certain pin angles, in a manner different from that of the present invention. In each of the prior art devices the folding wing mechanisms were cumbersome and somehwat ackward to use and actuate.